The Only One
by Kylie Anderson
Summary: Lindsay will have to face her past as the team races to prove her innocence. Why was she the only one to survive such a horrible crime? What happened in Bozeman, Montana?
1. Chapter 1

The Only One

Chapter 1

It was a cool, early New York morning. The city was bustling with people and cars. An old man standing behind a newspaper stand was talking about the latest Yankees game while another man was commenting on the snow that was predicted later that night. Lindsay Monroe walked through the crowded sidewalks. She made her way to the lab door and entered silently.

As Lindsay was putting her coat into her locker, she noticed Danny Messer walk in to the locker room. He said nothing as he passed her. "Morning Danny," Lindsay greeted hoping he still wasn't hurt…upset…

Danny looked at her for a minute before he replied. "Morning," Danny said shortly before slamming his locker and leaving swiftly.

_Great Monroe! Screw up as usually! _Lindsay thought to herself. Walking down the hall into the audio lab, Lindsay sat beside the woman working there. "Hey, what do you have?" Lindsay questioned quickly.

The woman didn't appear interested in what she was doing, let alone being annoyed so early in the morning. "Come back later," The woman said yawning.

Lindsay attempted to smile. "I really need this evidence now. This tape is the only evidence we have against a guy who could flee the country any minute." Lindsay explained calmly.

There was a small laugh from the woman. "Must be tough being you then," The woman said before putting her head down as if to fall asleep.

Standing up, Lindsay now looked very angry. "Look, all I'm asking is that you do your job! Can't you just process the evidence and give it to me?" Lindsay exploded.

Hearing a loud racket come from the audio room, Stella Bonasera made her way to the small room. When she entered, she noticed Lindsay was standing up and the lab technician was yawning. "Is something the matter?" Stella questioned making her presence known.

Lindsay nodded. "This woman is unwilling to do her job! I gave her this evidence three days ago and I've only got a few hours before my suspect gets on a plane to Cuba!" Lindsay said frustrated.

The woman put up her hands. "I'm workin' on it." The woman said. "Just as soon as I take a nap…"

Stella looked at the woman in disgust. "Come on Lindsay. I'll talk to Mac about this." Stella said gently grabbing Lindsay's shoulder and walking with her into the hall.

Once in the hall, Stella shook her head. "I hate some of the people working here." Stella admitted.

Lindsay smiled. "I do too, but how am I going to get that evidence processed?" Lindsay asked with a sigh.

"We'll figure something out." Stella promised as they walked further down the hall.

((-))

Detective Mac Taylor sat in his office tiredly. He had worked a double shift the night before and only had six hours of sleep before going back to work. There was a knock on his door. "Come in," Mac called.

Dr. Sheldon Hawkes and Danny Messer entered the room. "You said you wanted to see us?" Hawkes asked slightly worried.

Mac nodded. "You two have a DB in a building off of Fifth Street." Mac said with a small smile.

There appeared to be some confusion between the two of them. "Why didn't you just call us?" Danny questioned.

It was quiet for a moment as Danny and Hawkes awaited Mac's answer. "Well, let's just say this person didn't die yesterday…" Mac said with a large smile. "The decomposition is pretty bad and a hazmat team is worried about a gas line. So, I called you two in here to go over proper hazards material handling procedure."

A silent groan swept over Danny and Hawkes…and Mac could tell. "I know this is probably the worst job you will ever have, but Lindsay and I already have a case. Stella's due in court, so…" Mac said shrugging. "Remember to always wear your mask…"

Mac would have finished his safety lecture, but Stella and Lindsay walked in. "Oh sorry! Are we barging in on anything?" Stella asked slightly embarrassed.

Danny shook his head. "Oh no! Please…save us!" Danny said jokingly.

Mac looked up at them expectantly. "Yes?" Mac prompted.

As Stella was going to tell the tale of the rude woman, another interruption occurred. A well-dressed man in his fifties appeared at the doorway. "Detective Mac Taylor?" The man questioned.

Everyone was wondering who the mysterious man was. "Yes, that's me." Mac said bluntly standing up.

Mac moved around his desk to stand face to face with the man. "Hello, my name is Detective Shaun Cane of the Bozeman, Montana." The man said in a kind tone. "I'm looking for Lindsay Monroe."

All of their eyes stared at Lindsay as soon as the word 'Montana' was spoken. Lindsay moved towards the detective brushing her hair out of her face. "I'm here Shaun." Lindsay said quietly.

There was a smile that played on Shaun's lips. "Oh Linds, you look well!" Shaun greeted. "How's the city treating you?"

Lindsay did not appear to be as jolly as Shaun. "Cut to the chase Shaun. I know you wouldn't travel nearly 3,000 miles just to say hello." Lindsay said coldly barely looking at him.

Sighing, Shaun nodded. "You are indeed correct Lindsay. I'm here to talk about that night." Shaun said calmly.

Feeling like a deer caught in the headlights, Lindsay struggled to look at Shaun, but ended up simply staring at him. "It…it…it was fifteen years ago. I don't remember anything." Lindsay said quickly brushing past him and out of the room.

With Lindsay gone, everyone looked at Shaun for some sort of explanation. "Lindsay Monroe was the normal fifteen year old girl. She lived in a small city where everyone knew everyone. She had three great friends. Andy Buck was her boyfriend and they were going pretty serious. Nikita Washburn and Lindsay grew up across the street from each other. Samantha Herrington moved to Bozeman when Lindsay was in seventh grade and they immediately became friends. It seemed perfect. In fact, Bozeman barely had any crime until October 10, 1991. Lindsay offered for Samantha, Nikita and Andy to spend the night at her house for a horror movie marathon. Andy would have to sleep in the barn because Lindsay's parents were old fashioned although Lindsay would never do anything…she was an all A student. Her parents were out of town that day due to a conference. However, they trusted Lindsay to have her friends over. At about eleven o'clock at night, Andy went to the barn to go to bed. Lindsay, Nikita and Samantha chatted until about one in the morning. At that time, they heard a noise…" Shaun began.

_Flashback_

_Samantha jumped at a growling sound. "What was that?" Samantha asked worriedly. _

_Lindsay and Nikita laughed. "You've been watching too many horror movies! It's probably just the milk bucket by the barn. If the wind picks up, it flies around." Lindsay said unconcerned. _

_With a smile, Nikita nodded. "Yeah, so anyway, I was talking to Mary's daughter…the one who runs the ice cream shop…" Nikita began but was cut off by a scream. _

_Everyone froze in place. "Maybe…maybe Andy's trying to scare us." Samantha said unconvinced and scared. _

_Lindsay grabbed a flashlight. "Um…maybe we left the VCR on downstairs…" Lindsay suggested. "Could you guys follow me?" _

_Nikita and Samantha stood behind Lindsay as she led them downstairs. When they looked into the living room, the VCR was off as was the television. "Oh my word!" Nikita gasped. _

"_Call 911." Lindsay said firmly. _

"_It could have been nothing…" Samantha began before another scream drowned her out. _

_Lindsay realized where the sound was coming from. It was coming from the barn. "Oh God! Andy!" Lindsay screamed sprinting down to the barn. _

_Nikita and Samantha followed her. When Lindsay opened the barn door, she saw something she would never forget. The walls were stained with blood and Andy was so…red. A person clad in black wearing a mask held a chainsaw above him. The man quickly backed the three girls into a corner. He started up the chainsaw and soon Lindsay was covered in Samantha's blood. "Oh help me!" Nikita shouted before the chainsaw cut into her skin. _

_It was obvious Lindsay would be the next…she was the only one left. The man looked at her. Although he wore a ski mask, she could see his brown eyes. They simply stared into each others eyes for a moment before he disappeared into the black night. _

_Lindsay fell to the floor sobbing. _

_End Flashback_

There was a moment of silence. Shaun shook his head. "Lindsay managed to call 911, but by the time we got there…The poor girl was soaked in blood. Lindsay was traumatized for a long time after that. She graduated with highest honors and I was so surprised when she walked into my office asking for a job. After three years, she transferred over here." Shaun said finishing his tale.

Stella nodded. "I see, but why do you need to talk to her about this now?" Stella asked curiously.

Shaun sighed. "In all of Bozeman's history, we have only had one unsolved case. The Monroe Barn case. The people of Bozeman want to know exactly what happened in that barn. We have a feeling Lindsay isn't telling us something." Shaun admitted. "You know, it wasn't easy for that girl. Everyone in the town suspected that she killed her friends herself…after all, why was she the only one?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Stella sensed she wasn't going to like this man. He had not answered her questioned. Mac could tell she wasn't happy with his question, and to be honest, neither was he. "Yes, we understand all of that, but why _now_?" Mac asked repeating Stella's question.

Scratching his head, Shaun looked very uncomfortable. "New forensic evidence arose to prove Lindsay did kill her friends." Shaun said clearing his throat. "I'm…uh…here to arrest her."

There was a collective intake as everyone gasped. "I know…I know!" Shaun said shaking his head. "Lindsay's parents are good friends of mine and I know the girl. She couldn't have done this. I mean, you should have seen her after this ordeal! Lindsay hasn't been able to have a date since Andy. She keeps pushing people out and now she's run to the city to start a new life."

"Shaun, you can't arrest me." A voice said quietly.

Everyone turned to see Lindsay standing in the hall. "How long…" Hawkes questioned.

Lindsay sighed. "Long enough," Lindsay said firmly. "Shaun, I need you to stall. I can prove…"

Shaun shook his head. "Lindsay, listen to you! You've been obsessing over this thing for fifteen years! I've seen you in the lab just take the case file out and look at it. This is the reason you became a CSI and it's tearing you apart." Shaun said sighing. "I know you didn't do it Linds…but people want answers and there is new evidence…"

There were tears in Lindsay's eyes. "Do you have any idea what it was like? I led Nikita and Sam right to their deaths! I stood there helplessly like an idiot! Andy was dying right before me! I admit it, I'm really screwed up. I see their bodies every night! I keep replaying that night over and over." Lindsay said sobbing.

It was silent as Shaun listened to her words. He wasn't sure what to do. It was his job to arrest her, but he had known the girl since the day she was born. Finally, Mac cleared his throat breaking the silence. "Lindsay, if you're innocent, the evidence will prove that." Mac informed her calmly.

Wiping away her tears, Lindsay nodded. "Yeah…I guess you know what you've got to do Shaun." Lindsay said holding out her hands.

Pulling out handcuffs, Shaun sighed. He knew what he had to do. "Lindsay Monroe, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you…" Shaun began as he handcuffed her and led her out of the room.

After Shaun and Lindsay had left, Danny felt an odd sensation come over him. He finally understood why Lindsay didn't show up for dinner. He finally understood. "Mac, we've got to do something…" Stella began looking at him desperately.

Hawkes nodded in agreement. "Lindsay would never kill anyone." Hawkes said shortly.

Mac fiddled with his hands as he decided what to do. "We don't have jurisdiction over Bozeman, Montana." Mac stated.

Danny was now feeling an unusual sense of loyalty to Lindsay. "Mac, I'm sure Bozeman wouldn't mind the help of several top forensic investigators." Danny offered. "We could review the evidence."

Looking around at their faces, Mac decided that they were indeed correct. Lindsay was in trouble and they did need to help. "A friend in Bozeman owes me a favor…" Mac said quietly.

Relieved, Stella nodded. "Okay, so how are we going to do this?" Stella said jumping right into the investigation.

Mac smiled. Although they hadn't known Lindsay long, these people were willing to go to great lengths to help her. "Let's get the case file." Mac said shortly.

((-))

Lindsay stared out the window of a private jet as it flew through the open skies. Shaun was sitting next to her. "I'm sure you'll enjoy returning home." Shaun said gently. "Your parents are always worried about you in the city."

There was no need for Lindsay to respond, so she didn't. In her heart, she knew Shaun had no choice. He was merely a detective. However, there was a sting of betrayal that she couldn't quite get over. "Lindsay, don't be like this…" Shaun begged.

Looking straight into his eyes, Lindsay remained stone faced. "What evidence do you have against me?" Lindsay asked.

Shaun shrugged. "The chainsaw…someone found it. It has your fingerprints on it and your friends blood." Shaun told her.

Lindsay looked outside of the window again.

((-))

Grizzly pictures were hung up all around the room. Danny felt sick looking at each of them. "What happened to you Montana?" Danny whispered.

Stella shook her head. "You know that new evidence they found?" Stella questioned. "The evidence that prompted Lindsay's arrest?"

Hawkes nodded. "Yeah?" Hawkes asked.

Slamming down a picture, Stella pointed to something in the picture. "The Bozeman police were sent this chainsaw and the plea to arrest Lindsay. When they examined the chainsaw, they found her fingerprints on it and blood on the blade." Stella said. "However, they refuse to send the chainsaw here for further analyses. The only way we can examine it is if someone goes to Bozeman."

Danny suddenly looked alert. "I'll do it." Danny said quickly.

For a moment, Mac almost refused him. He wasn't blind. Mac saw that there was something going on between Lindsay and Danny. What, he wasn't sure, but he knew it was probably something he didn't want to know about. "I'll go with you." Mac said hoping to keep an eye on Danny that way.

Hawkes and Stella looked at them in a hurt manner. "What would you like us to do?" Hawkes asked as kindly as he could.

Mac shrugged. "We need someone to stay back so we can have additional resources here." Mac explained.

Brushing her hair back, Stella understood what Mac meant. "Alright," Stella said shortly. "I'll call Bozeman PD to let them know you're coming over."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Upon arriving in Bozeman, Danny glanced around surprised. There were buildings and streets everywhere. "Um…are you sure we're in the right place Mac?" Danny questioned.

Mac gave him a little smile. "You need to get out of the city more often Danny." Mac said calmly. "Even small, remote towns have pavement."

Taking out a map, Mac began to navigate his way around the small city. Before too long, he parked the rental car outside of a small building. "This is Bozeman's lab?" Danny asked shaking his head. "It's very small."

Mac shook his head. "No, this is Bozeman's police station and lab." Mac replied.

Opening the door of the car, Danny got out and stretched his legs. "I guess with small towns there isn't much crime, so having a small police department and lab combined makes sense." Danny said shrugging.

((-))

Hawkes was pacing around in the trace lab. He looked agitated and was starting to annoy Stella. "Stop that!" Stella announced at once.

Looking up at her, Hawkes stopped. "I hate this Stel. I really do. We're stuck here doing other cases when Danny and Mac are helping Lindsay. Sure, they might call us for help, but we're not doing much!" Hawkes said frustrated.

Stella sighed. She knew how Hawkes was feeling for she felt the same way. "Well, somebody has to stay behind." Stella offered with a small shrug.

Their conversation was interrupted when Detective Don Flack walked into the lab. "Hey, has anyone seen Mac? I need to talk to him about this case…" Flack began.

Raising her eyebrows, Stella shook her head. "No one told you?" Stella asked.

Flack looked confused. "What?" Flack asked.

Hawkes and Stella exchanged glances. "Well…" Hawkes said beginning to tell the story.

((-))

A slim woman was standing in front of the Bozeman police station reception desk. She didn't even appear to notice that Danny and Mac entered the building. "My daughter did not kill anyone! She's the victim here! I can't believe you arrested her!" The woman with brown hair was ranting.

The secretary behind the desk seemed a little surprised by the woman's outburst. "Um..." The secretary began.

In a moment, Shaun walked out from another room. "Is there a problem Cindy?" Shaun asked looking at the secretary.

Before the secretary named Cindy could even answer, the woman with brown hair moved over to Shaun. "Where's my daughter? Where's Lindsay?" The woman demanded.

Shaun gave her a smile before patting her arm. "Audrey, why don't we talk about this…" Shaun began.

Audrey, who Mac guessed was Lindsay's mother, shook her head. "No! I want to see my daughter and I want to see her now Shaun!" Audrey shouted.

In defeat, Shaun nodded as he led Audrey down a corridor. He motioned for Mac and Danny to follow as well. As Shaun opened a door, it revealed a cell in which Lindsay sat with her head in her hands. "Get her out of there!" Audrey shrieked.

Shaun quickly opened the cell door and Lindsay flew out. She wrapped her arms around her mother. "Oh mom!" Lindsay cried.

Audrey hugged Lindsay tightly. "Sweetie, your daddy's calling a lawyer and we're going to get this all straightened out." Audrey said gently. "Okay, dear?"

Lindsay nodded breaking away from her mother as she wiped away a few tears. She noticed that Danny and Mac were standing in the doorway. "Mom, I'd like you to meet a few of my friends from the city." Lindsay said gesturing towards the door. "That's Danny Messer and my boss, Mac Taylor."

Audrey shook hands with them. "Now, they're not in any gangs, are they?" Audrey questioned looking them over.

With a smile, Lindsay shook her head. "No mom…you worry too much." Lindsay said starting to feel slightly better now that her mother and friends were with her. "They're my co-workers."

Shaun cleared his throat. "Um…Lindsay, you're still under arrest. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask that you get back in the cell." Shaun requested looking at the ground.

In one swift motion, Audrey was beside Shaun. "How dare you? How dare you treat her like a criminal? You babysat for her when I working! You _know_ her! Please, treat her with a little respect." Audrey said getting red in the face.

Lindsay made her way back to the cell silently. "It's okay mom. We're going to find out what happened." Lindsay said firmly as the door slammed shut to her cell.

Audrey had tears streaming down her face as she nodded. "I know dear." Audrey said softly.

Clearing his throat, Mac hoped to make himself obvious without having to appear rude to Lindsay, Audrey or Shaun. "If you don't mind me asking, but could Danny and I speak to Lindsay? Alone." Mac questioned with a firm voice.

Shaun and Audrey were hesitant. "Alright. I'll see if the interrogation room is open." Shaun said quietly as he left the room.

((-))

Flack whistled under his breath while shaking his head. "Oh dear…" Flack muttered after hearing what happened.

Stella nodded. "That's exactly what we said." Stella said sighing.

Flipping through a file, Hawkes drummed his fingers on the desk. "I don't know why Bozeman would think that Lindsay killed her friends. Sure, the chainsaw is evidence, but it doesn't mean she did it. She could have touched that chainsaw at any time in her life." Hawkes said.

Shrugging, Flack looked uneasy. "Well, she might have done it." Flack said.

Hawkes and Stella both looked at Flack angrily. "How could you think like that?" Stella breathed.

"Hey, all I'm sayin' is that we really don't know this girl. She's been here a little while and we don't know what she was like when she was fifteen. Lindsay could have killed her friends over a disagreement." Flack suggested quietly. "I just want to bring out the point that, we don't know what happened that night."

There was something in Stella's eyes. Flack had seen it before. It was that determination Stella was famous for. In that moment, Flack knew Stella wouldn't give up on Lindsay. "We are going find out what happened." Stella said firmly.

Flack had no trouble believing her.

A/N- I live in a small town and most people just think we live in the woods or something. I just wanted to inform people that yes, we do have houses and television. That thing about Andy sleeping in the barn, that's based off of real life. If any guys want to stay over at my place, they sleep in the barn (my dad's rule)!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mac smiled gently at Lindsay. Danny also gave her a reassuring look. The interrogation room was a small one with a desk and four chairs. It had been Mac who decided to sit next to her as opposed to sitting across from her. Lindsay guessed it was to make her feel like she still an equal. "What happened Lindsay?" Mac questioned.

Sighing, Lindsay rubbed her forehead. "Look, Shaun already told you…" Lindsay began starting to feel agitated.

Anyone could sense her agitation. "I know Montana, but we need to hear it in ya own words." Danny said giving her a gentle smile.

_If they keep this 'let's-all-be-friends-and-pretend-nothing's-happened' act up, it's going to be a very long night. _Lindsay thought really starting to hate her side of the table.

((-))

Audrey was pacing around the lobby when a well-dressed man entered. "Audrey!" He exclaimed.

Looking up, Audrey looked relieved. "Harry!" Audrey muttered wrapping him in a hug. "They've got our daughter locked up."

Harry Monroe nodded. "I know dear. I called the lawyer, remember?" Harry asked.

As Audrey looked around, it was obvious was she was trying to convey. "Well, where is he?" Audrey demanded.

Shifting his feet, Harry scratched his head. He stared at the ground hoping he wouldn't have to answer the question. "Well?" Audrey asked persistently.

"Um…the lawyer doesn't think he can win this case. I told him we'd pay what we could and he said that he only takes cases that he can win." Harry admitted.

Audrey drew herself to her full height. "And you called another lawyer, right?" Audrey prompted in an angry tone.

Harry nodded hoping his wife's wrath wouldn't be too painful. "Yeah, I called everyone in Bozeman and then everyone in the county. No one wants to take the case." Harry muttered.

"Well call every lawyer in Montana! Call every lawyer in America! I don't care if you have to call every lawyer in the world! Someone is going to help our baby!" Audrey shouted.

Holding his wife's hand, Harry looked into her eyes sadly. "Honey, we don't even know if she's innocent." Harry admitted.

Immediately, Audrey pulled away from Harry. She looked horrified. In an instant she raised her hand and smacked it across his face. "You jerk!" Audrey shouted before quickly walking away.

((-))

Finished explaining what happened, Lindsay looked up restlessly at Danny and Mac. "Is there anything else you remember?" Mac prompted.

Lindsay shook her head. "There's nothing else to remember. That's what happened." Lindsay said firmly.

Mac smiled. "Alright. We'll see you later." Mac said gently. "You hang in there."

For a moment, Danny and Lindsay looked at each other. Danny could tell she was waiting for him to say something, but what could he say? He sure wasn't going say, 'Lindsay, I love you and now I understand so let's just start over'. He thought it would be better to say nothing at all.

((-))

As Mac and Danny walked into a small lab area, a tall man appeared out of nowhere. "Hey, hey! Who are you? You need to be wearing gloves and a lab coat!" The man squeaked rushing over to them. "Oh dear! Oh dear! Who knows what you've contaminated…oh my goodness!"

It was odd to Danny how in such a terrible times, the simplest things could still be funniest. "Hi, I'm Mac Taylor with the New York Crime Lab." Mac said extending his hand.

The man did not shake his hand. "I don't care who you are! You're still carrying germs! You better put your hand down. I don't shake hands. Do you realize how many germs you get by just shaking hands? Anyway, why are you here? Wait, don't answer until you've got a lab coat on! And for goodness sake put gloves on!" The man said frantically.

If Mac met this guy on the street, he would have guessed the man to be either taking drugs or seriously mentally ill. Danny looked around the room and found the rack with lab coats on it. He put a long white lab coat on and Mac followed his lead. Mac found the gloves and put them on. Danny did so as well. "Thank you!" The man said sitting down relieved. "Now, who are you again?"

"I'm Danny Messer and that's Mac Taylor. We're from New York and we wanted to process the chainsaw in the Monroe case." Danny said shortly.

The man sighed. "Do my bosses know you're here? If they don't, I'll be in so much trouble! I should probably ask for ID…Wait, are you the guys from that e-mail that Shaun sent me? I guess it's safe…Do you want the keys to the evidence room? No, I probably shouldn't do that. I'll get it. You know, maybe I should see some ID." The man said getting up and pacing around. "Yes, I need to see some ID!"

Danny pulled out his badge and showed it to the eccentric man. After a moment, the man smiled. "I should introduce myself. My mother always told me it's so rude not to introduce myself. You probably think I'm rude. I'm really not. I'm a really nice guy in fact. I'm good with people. Although, I don't get to talk to people often. We only have a few people in the lab and for some reason they never seem interested in talking to me. I haven't the foggiest idea why! Except Lindsay Monroe. She's the sweetest girl. She always came in to talk to me." The man said pausing for a minute as if he were trying to remember something. "Hmm…I was going to say something…oh yes! My name! My name's Ethan Cote."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Cote." Mac said politely.

Ethan waved his hand. "Please, don't call me Mr. Cote. It reminds me of my father, God bless his soul. He was a great guy until he was impaled upon a fence post…ah anyway! You wanted to see the chainsaw, right?" Ethan questioned.

Danny nodded. "Yes please," Danny said civilly.

Walking around to a locked door, Ethan opened the door. When he opened it, it revealed a large room with boxes lined up and down the walls. "Wow, I didn't think you guys got a lot of cases." Danny commented.

Out of sight, Ethan chuckled. "Bozeman doesn't, but we're the only crime lab around for a while, so other cities send stuff here. But most of the evidence here is for ticket violators and things like that…" Ethan muttered. "Ah! Here it is!"

Ethan took the chainsaw and laid it on top of the layout table. "What type of tests did you perform?" Mac asked looking directly at the chainsaw.

"Well, I started with the blood on the blade. It matched Andy Buck, Nikita Washburn and Samantha Herrington. I then lifted fingerprints from the handle. To my surprise, I got a hit off of the New York Police Department Employees. I think it's kind of creepy how law enforcement have to have their fingerprints and DNA on file… Where was I? Oh yes, the fingerprints matched Lindsay Monroe. Which, is pretty bizarre. Lindsay is a really nice person…" Ethan rambled.

Mac nodded. "Thank you Ethan." Mac said kindly.

Ethan beamed at him obviously pleased with himself. He sat down ready to observe his visitors. "Let's get started then." Danny said tightening his gloves.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Waiting for the results of a few tests, Mac looked over at Ethan. He realized something he had not thought of before. "How did you get the chainsaw?" Mac questioned.

Ethan starting going through a box by his side. He pulled out an evidence bag with a letter inside. "We got a box with this letter inside." Ethan said shortly.

Danny was surprised at how short Ethan's response was. _Maybe he just talks when he's nervous. _Danny thought. _Thank goodness though! I don't think I could handle another one of his long ramblings. _

Mac took the evidence bag from him and began to read the letter.

_Dear Bozeman PD, _

_I have evidence of a horrible crime. I wanted to protect this girl, but I'm afraid I can't. I'm so sorry for not coming in sooner. _

_A concerned citizen _

To Mac, it was obvious whoever sent this letter knew something. "Did you check this letter for prints?" Mac questioned.

Ethan looked horrified. "No sir. I didn't think it was necessary. Well actually, I thought we should test it, but Shaun told me not to bother. He convinced me it was probably just an honest citizen. Bozeman's like that you know. If your neighbor saw anything, they would make sure something got done. You know, this guy was stealing my TV one day and my neighbor saw. She got her dog to chase the guy halfway down the block. Fluffy is a very hungry poodle. Took a chunk out of the guy's leg…" Ethan said pausing before looking at the letter. "Now what was…oh the note! Yes, no one examined it."

_Oh Fluffy the poodle! Save us all! _Danny thought as a large smile appeared on his face. Mac smiled at him knowing exactly why Danny was smiling. "Danny, can you examine the chainsaw? I'll take care of this note and the box the chainsaw came in." Mac said.

Ethan jumped up. "I forgot the box!" Ethan exclaimed going back into the evidence room. "How could I have forgotten the box? I'm always forgetting things…"

Mac let out a small chuckle as he placed the note into a fume box to expose any prints. Minutes later, Ethan came out with a large box. "Here you go!" Ethan presented with a smile.

Slowly, Mac and Danny began to process the evidence.

((-))

A woman paced a large spacious room in Bozeman, Montana. "Relax! Those detectives won't figure it out." The woman said calmly into her cell phone.

"Mom, they're from here! They're from New York City. I know everything about them. Mac Taylor is always on the news here. He solves all the crimes! They're going to find out!" A man's voice said frantically from the other side of the cell phone.

"Shut up! I'm trying to take care of your mess! If you hadn't killed those kids…" The woman said angrily.

There was a sigh on the other side of the phone. "I bet you're glad I didn't kill Lindsay…" The man taunted.

"You made me corrupt! I have to walk around Bozeman knowing my son killed three kids. I see their parents all the time. You were a coward and ran to New York City under the illusion Lindsay would marry you!" The woman said brushing her hair back in frustration. "I can't be having this phone call."

With that, the woman hung up. She knew it would only be a matter of time before someone found out…

((-))

Nearly an hour later, Danny took a paper that had just been printed. "Mac, there's something you gotta see." Danny said staring at the paper.

Mac walked over to Danny. "What is it?" Mac asked concerned.

Danny pointed at the chainsaw. "Well the first thing is that the chainsaw model was only made a year ago." Danny said shortly.

"It wasn't the chainsaw that killed the three teenagers." Mac stated with a small smile.

Danny nodded. "The blood on the blade has a chemical in it that is used for storing blood for a long time. The print was fumed on before placed on the chainsaw with some sort of adhesive." Danny said with a wide smile. "This proves Lindsay is being framed."

People say that there is a moment in your life where you just are filled with a rush of relief. Mac had that moment. He knew Lindsay was innocent, but he had no idea how he was going to prove it. "So someone took the kids blood and kept it for a long time before putting it on a chainsaw where they also put Lindsay's prints?" Mac asked making sure he got it right before shaking his head. "That's…"

"Cold." Danny finished for him. "I know. Did you get anything?"

Mac nodded. "I got a few prints and I'm running them through AFIS now." Mac said.

"Alright, let's go get Shaun to tell him to release Lindsay." Danny said with a light heart.

((-))

Lindsay was sitting in an interrogation room with a man sitting in front of her. "Lindsay, I said I wanted to see you, but I didn't think it meant like this…" The man in his thirties joked.

Scowling at him, Lindsay shook her head. "Shut up James." Lindsay muttered.

James laughed. "Hey! Hey! Is that anyway to treat your old partner?" James questioned.

Before Lindsay could respond, Danny, Mac, Shaun, her mother and her father all entered. "You're free to go." Shaun said with a wide smile.

Lindsay looked from Danny to Mac for an explanation. "You were being framed Montana." Danny said calmly.

It didn't seem possible. Lindsay never thought they would find any evidence to save her. She jumped up and hugged Danny without even thinking. Danny was obviously surprised by the gesture for he stood there shell-shocked. "Um…thanks." Danny said awkwardly.

"Hey, doesn't your old partner get a hug as well?" James joked sensing Danny's discomfort.

Lindsay broke away. "You didn't find evidence to prove my innocence. In fact, I think you still thought I did it." Lindsay said before turning to her parents.

Audrey tried to smile, but she was still very upset with her argument with her husband. "We're going home." Audrey said gently.

"Home for me is in New York City." Lindsay reminded her.

Harry shook his head. "No matter where you go, your hometown is always your home." Harry said wrapping his arm around his daughter.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hearing a ding, Mac immediately rushed to the computer. Danny was right behind him. There was a smile on Mac's face. AFIS had found a match. "The fingerprint on the box and on the letter is match to Ben Wilcox." Mac announced.

Danny looked on the computer screen trying to find the information he needed. "What's he in AFIS for?" Danny questioned.

Ethan popped out of another room. "Hey, did I just hear the name Ben Wilcox?" Ethan asked.

Mac nodded. "You know him?" Mac asked back.

"Who doesn't know Ben Wilcox? He's the head of the police department here in Bozeman. I guess you could say he's my boss…because my direct boss is the head of the lab and he works for Ben so… technically he's like my boss once removed." Ethan rambled. "Wait, why do you need to know about Ben Wilcox?"

Pointing to the box and the letter, Mac gave Ethan a certain look. "His fingerprints are on the box and letter." Mac said shortly.

There was a look of pure shock on Ethan's face. "No! There must be a mistake…I'm not sure if the fumes in the box were quite right… Ben's been the head of the police department for over twenty years." Ethan said quickly. "There's no way…"

It was silent for once in the lab. "I'm sure there's an explanation." Ethan said quietly.

Danny nodded. "I'm sure there is. Why don't we talk to Ben to find out?" Danny said frowning.

He was not liking this one bit.

((-))

Stella quickly found Hawkes and Flack. "Lindsay's been cleared!" Stella shouted excitedly.

Hawkes and Flack grinned. "Great! When did this happen?" Hawkes asked eagerly.

"A few hours ago." Stella admitted. "Mac only got time to call me just a few minutes ago."

Pulling up a chair, Flack sat down. "So tell me, what cleared her?" Flack asked.

Stella began to tell them the entire story.

((-))

Ben Wilcox saw Mac and Danny coming before they even opened his office door. Once they entered, Ben sneered at them. "I'm not saying anything until my union representative gets here." Ben said before Danny could open his mouth.

Mac knew immediately this guy had something to hide. "We just have a few questions…" Mac began.

"Then ask my union rep." Ben said firmly.

It was then that Danny realized something. Ben was hiding something for himself, he was hiding something for someone else.

((-))

Back in the lab, Danny expressed his thoughts. Mac nodded as he listened. "I know. I felt like Ben is just a pawn in a game of chess." Mac said shortly.

"Maybe we can have Stel check his bank records. If he's hiding something for someone, he must have been paid a lot." Danny suggested.

Mac nodded. "However, money isn't the only way to get someone to do something. Blackmail is another way." Mac said.

At that time, Ethan walked into the room. "Something is going on in Bozeman and I don't like it." Ethan announced.

Danny looked surprised. "What do you mean?" Danny questioned.

Ethan rubbed his hands as he paced back and forth. "Ben's acting odd. He asked for a union rep. No one does that in Bozeman. Shaun is walking around and if you say something, he jumps a mile. The mayor is pretty tense too. Everyone's walking on eggshells and I know something terrible is about to happen." Ethan said quickly.

Mac gave Ethan a small smile. "Don't worry. We're going to get to the bottom of this." Mac said calmly.

Those words were supposed to reassure Ethan, but they did not.

((-))

Stella closed her cell phone before looking at Hawkes and Flack gravely. "Ben Wilcox. I need someone to run a financial background on him." Stella said sighing.

Hawkes nodded. "I'll do it. What am I looking for?" Hawkes asked.

Standing up, Stella rubbed her forehead. "Well, Mac said that Ben's fingerprints were on the letter that gave them the chainsaw that framed Lindsay. Ben is the head of the police department and Mac doesn't think he is behind all of this." Stella explained.

Flack sighed. "So we're thinking that someone hired Ben to keep quiet fifteen years ago?" Flack questioned.

Stella nodded. "And paid him off again to do the chainsaw thing." Stella confirmed.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt to do a background check on him as well." Flack offered.

Hawkes smiled as did Stella. "Thanks Flack," Hawkes said.

Flack shrugged. "I don't have anything else to do but figure out if a small town police chief murdered a couple kids." Flack said with a smile.

((-))

Mac sighed. This case was giving him a headache. He couldn't make heads or tails of anyone. "Danny, I think we need to do a crime scene reconstruction." Mac said at last.

Danny nodded. "I agree." Danny affirmed.

"Get your coat." Mac said quickly walking.

There was a look of confusion on Danny's face. "Aren't we going to use a computer model…?" Danny questioned.

Mac shook his head. "Nope." Mac said. "Ever been to a barn?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Danny looked around to see wheat fields all around him. This is what he imagined all of Bozeman to be. There was a small farmhouse down a dirt road. Beside it, there was a large barn. White fences acted as pastures for cows and horses of all kinds.

Knocking on the door, Danny and Mac savored the moment to take in the sweet smell of the country as opposed to the polluted air in the city. The door opened to reveal Lindsay. "Oh hi," Lindsay said mildly surprised. "Come in,"

Remembering a case that Danny worked with Lindsay, he took his shoes off. Mac followed Danny's lead. Lindsay noticed the gesture and smiled at him. "Would you like something to drink?" Lindsay asked.

Mac and Danny both shook their heads. "Lindsay, I don't want to have to do this, but could you take us through that night?" Mac asked gently.

This caused Lindsay to take a step back. "You mean like walk you through…?" Lindsay asked hoping she wasn't right.

Danny nodded. "We'll be right here with…" Danny began.

"Don't treat me like a victim!" Lindsay said firmly.

Both Danny and Mac were surprised by her outburst, but said nothing to it. "Sorry." Lindsay said quietly. "I just…never mind. Sure, I'll walk you through that night. My parents are out for today."

Mac gave her a reassuring smile. He admired her courage. "Let's start with when Nikita, Samantha and Andy arrived." Mac said shortly.

Lindsay looked at him oddly. "You…you actually called them by their names. It's weird, but no one ever calls them by name. Whenever they talk about what happened, they just talk about the 'three kids'." Lindsay said with a small tear rolling down her face. "Um…Nikita walked over from across the street at two in the afternoon. We called Andy and Samantha. They got here at about three o'clock."

Making her way into the next room, Lindsay glanced at the television. "It was Andy's idea to watch horror movies. Nikita, Samantha and I had no objection, so we started watching my collection of horror movies." Lindsay said placing her hand on the couch.

Seeing that Lindsay was crying silently, Mac felt he had to say something. "Take your time." Mac said gently.

Lindsay nodded. "It was eleven o'clock when Andy decided to call it quits. He asked if he could sleep in the house because my parents were out. I remember Nikita saying he just wanted to sleep with me… Anyway, Andy and I both knew the rules, so I handed him a blanket. He went out to the barn." Lindsay said glancing out at the barn through a window.

Leading them up the stairs, Lindsay walked into a room where Mac and Danny followed her inside. It was filled with posters and trinkets. There was a small bed in the middle of the room. "My mother left my room the way it was when I left for college when I was eighteen." Lindsay explained. "Nikita, Samantha and I got into sleeping bags, but we didn't go to sleep. I mean, you know how sleepovers are."

Danny shook his head. "No, I can't say that I do." Danny said with a smile.

Lindsay made a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a cry. "We were talking about the gossip of the town." Lindsay said shortly. "It was about one o'clock before we heard a growling sound."

Mac had the case file in his hand as well as a notepad. "Why didn't you call 911?" Mac questioned.

There was a sad look on Lindsay's face. "We didn't know what it was. I grabbed a flashlight and the girls followed me down the stairs. I checked the VCR and no horror movies were playing. We heard a horrible scream. I knew something was wrong then. I told Nikita and Samantha to call 911, but they didn't listen. All I could think about was Andy and I ran into the barn." Lindsay said walking outside of her house.

Danny, Mac and Lindsay all walked towards the barn. Once outside the barn, Lindsay stopped. "I haven't been inside since…" Lindsay said with tears falling from her face rapidly.

_Who cares about damn department policy? Who cares what Mac will think? _Danny thought as he embraced Lindsay. "I'm so sorry." Danny said honestly.

Sobbing into his shoulder, Lindsay began to feel like a rock was being lifted from her shoulders. Eventually, Lindsay broke away. "You both probably think I'm insane." Lindsay said wiping her eyes.

Mac shook his head. "No, we don't." Mac said gently. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love."

Lindsay realized that Mac was talking about his late wife, Claire. Taking a deep breath, Lindsay knew what she had to do. She opened the barn door. As she entered, she flicked on a light. "Nikita and Samantha followed me in. We saw Andy. He was in that corner there." Lindsay said pointing to a far corner. "The man was standing over him with a chainsaw. He turned to us and killed Samantha. Her blood…was all over. I think I was screaming for Nikita to run, but Nikita just stood by me as he started to cut into her. Blood was everywhere. He…he turned to me and I just knew. I knew he was going to kill me, but then…he took off."

Taking deep breathes, Lindsay noticed she was shaking. "I fell to the floor sobbing. I…I was so scared. I ran back to the house covered in blood and called 911. I remember coming back to the barn and just sitting by Nikita, Samantha and Andy. I was just crying harder than I had cried before." Lindsay said quietly. "Then someone got me out of the barn… Nikita's parents moved away. They still live in Bozeman, but they couldn't live across the street from where their daughter died. I don't know what happened to Samantha's or Andy's parents."

Danny gently patted Lindsay's arm. Mac was silent as he pulled pictures from the case file and held them up in various places of the barn. "You said you gave Andy a blanket." Mac stated.

Lindsay nodded. "That's right. It was a quilt actually." Lindsay said curious to what he noticed.

"When the man left, did he have a blanket?" Mac questioned.

There was silence as Lindsay thought. "Yeah…yeah, I think he did. Why?" Lindsay asked.

Mac sighed. "There's no blanket in any of these crime scene photographs." Mac said looking at her.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Hawkes shook his head as he read the computer screen again before printing out a bank statement. He couldn't believe what he saw, yet in a way, he could believe what he saw. He took the paper and went to find Stella and Flack.

He found them looking over a computer screen in a one of the labs. "I got Ben Wilcox's bank statement." Hawkes said handing them the paper. "Fifteen years ago, the day after the murders, Ben mysteriously got five thousand dollars in his bank account. Then, a week ago, he put nine thousand dollars into the account."

Flack shook his head. "Nine thousand dollars…that's one thousand less than what would have had to been reported to a federal judge. He obviously wanted to fly under the radar." Flack commented.

"A week ago…Bozeman got the chainsaw a week ago." Stella observed shortly.

"There's no doubt in my mind that this guy is being paid off by someone to hide evidence or keep quiet." Hawkes said sighing. "I better e-mail this to Mac and Danny."

((-))

Lindsay quickly stepped out of the barn. Mac and Danny followed her outside. "Is there anything else I can do?" Lindsay asked looking down at the ground obvious she didn't want to do anything else.

Mac nodded. "Yes, there is one thing." Mac said gently. "Let go,"

Looking up at him, Lindsay knew he understood better than anyone. She smiled watching them leave feeling at peace.

((-))

The woman paced her office again. "They found Wilcox." She whispered into the cell phone fearfully. "It's only a matter of time…"

"He won't talk. He's too damn proud to let himself get involved in a scandal." The male voice on the other end said firmly. "However, you've got to watch out about Shaun Cane. He's friends with the Monroe family and I could tell that night he didn't want to do it. He didn't want to destroy the evidence. I'm positive he's gonna talk."

Shaking her head, the woman sighed. "What have you gotten me into?" The woman asked.

"You got yourself into it. Now just deal with it mom!" The voice hissed before hanging up.

((-))

Back at the lab, Ethan quickly came up to Mac and Danny. "Hi, one of your guys sent an e-mail to my lab. It's a bank statement belonging to Ben Wilcox." Ethan said handing Mac the paper. "I printed it out. It's odd how the police can just get your bank statement if the judge signs a warrant. Brings a new meaning to 'big brother's watching'…"

Mac quickly walked away before Ethan could finish. Danny looked over at Ethan with a smile before walking after Mac. "No one really wants to listen to me ramble on about the warrant situation…" Ethan muttered before spotting a woman walking outside the lab and racing after her. "Hey Jenna! Do you want to know about the current warrant situation?"

((-))

Circling around Wilcox and his union representative, Mac slammed down the bank statement in front of Ben. "What's this?" The union representative squeaked.

"A bank statement. The day after the murders, your client got a lot of money in his account. Just a week ago, he got even more money to frame Lindsay Monroe." Mac hissed.

Ben shrugged. "That's all nice, but it's circumstantial." Ben said calmly.

Mac smiled. "Yes, it is, but we have your fingerprint on the letter that came with the chainsaw used to frame Lindsay." Mac said. "And in New York that is real, hard forensic evidence."

The union representative looked around wildly. He was obviously not experienced. "Um…well…" The union rep. muttered.

"Oh well. So, I'll go away for a couple years for hindering an investigation. Big deal. I didn't kill anyone." Ben said.

Mac nodded. "You're right, but you helped cover up a crime. While you think you're protecting someone, a judge wanted to make sure we got all the evidence to find the real killer. He gave us a warrant to search your house. Tell me, what is my CSI going to find?" Mac questioned.

For a moment, there was a flash of fear on Ben's face.

((-))

Lindsay was in the kitchen making her parents a surprise dinner for when they got home, when the doorbell rang. She wiped her wet hands on her apron and made her way to the door. When she opened it, she saw Shaun Cane standing in front of her. "Hi, Shaun." Lindsay said in a friendly manner. "Come inside,"

Shaun shook his head. "Lindsay…I did a horrible thing." Shaun croaked. "Please…forgive me…"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Danny was with the Bozeman Crime Scene Unit in Ben Wilcox's house. He was searching the basement when he found a large, plastic storage box. He opened it and found a chainsaw covered in blood. There was a paper bag and inside were the charred remains of what appeared to be clothes.

The discovery made Danny's heart start to pound. This was it. He had found the evidence that they so desperately needed. "Whoever did this to my Montana is going to pay…" Danny muttered silently.

((-))

Lindsay stood in her doorway silently. "W…what?" Lindsay questioned shakily. "What did you do?"

There were tears coming from Shaun's face. "I…I…when I came on the scene, I made sure you were okay. After you were taken to the hospital, Ben Wilcox came up to me. He told me to find your fingerprint. He also wanted me to gather some of the blood and place it in jars. I told him, I wasn't going to do it. He said if I wanted a job, I was to do as I was told. So…I did it. I gave him your fingerprint and the blood…" Shaun said tearfully. "He gave me some bloody clothes and told me to burn them…and I did."

Lindsay looked horrified. "Shaun…" Lindsay said backing away from him. "How could you?"

"I'm so sorry." Shaun said truthfully.

Grabbing her jacket, Lindsay made her way to Shaun's car. "Give me your keys." Lindsay demanded.

Shaun was in shock. "W…what?" Shaun questioned.

"You're turning yourself in." Lindsay said firmly.

((-))

Mac and Danny began to process the chainsaw and the charred clothes. After two hours of working the evidence and running tests, Mac smiled. "These clothes belong to a male and based on the size, it was a teenager." Mac said before sighing. "But they're too charred to get any DNA off of them."

Danny shrugged. "That's more than I got. The blood matches the victims, so this is obviously the chainsaw that killed the kids. However, there aren't any prints." Danny said.

"So we're looking for a teenage boy as the killer." Mac said drawing the conclusion.

Ethan ran in at that time. "You've got to come quick! There was a 911 call from the Monroe house! Lindsay's in trouble!" Ethan said frantically.

It only took Mac and Danny a second to react and run out of the lab.

((-))

Shaun shoved Lindsay against the car. "I'm not going to loose my career for you! I worked too damn hard!" Shaun shouted grabbing his gun and holding it to her head.

Lindsay struggled before breaking loose to run inside her house. She dialed 911 and locked the door. Although, Lindsay knew it was useless to lock the door, she felt safe. Shaun may have had a key, but he was probably too crazy to use it at the moment. "Okay Monroe, use your brain…" Lindsay muttered to herself. "He's going to come barging through that door any moment. You need to…my gun!"

It took Lindsay a minute to find her service gun, but when she found it, she felt much safer. Taking a deep breath, Lindsay watched as the door rattled before opening. She stood ready to fire.

Shaun stood there with a wild look in his eyes. He held his gun on Lindsay while she held her gun on him. "I really am sorry Lindsay! I've known your parents forever. I know I shouldn't have done it…but I didn't want to stay behind a desk for the rest of my life!" Shaun said attempting to get her to understand.

"Shaun, I don't want to kill you." Lindsay admitted. "But if you don't put that gun down, I will."

There was a tiny laugh. "Lindsay, if you shoot me, it won't be any worse than turning myself in. Either way, I'm dead." Shaun said before turning the gun to himself.

Time stood still. Lindsay knew she shouldn't put down her gun, but it was obvious Shaun wasn't a threat to her. So she placed her gun down before rushing forward to grab the gun from Shaun. She ended up knocking him down. They struggled on the porch for the gun. It seemed unreal, but when Shaun finally got the gun, he did not turn it to himself, but at Lindsay again. Lindsay put her hands up while she looked around.

To Lindsay's left, there was a metal bucket. In one swift motion she picked it up and swung it across his face. Shaun fell to the ground and Lindsay grabbed his gun. She never let go of the bucket or the gun.

((-))

Danny was sitting with Mac in a police car as several other patrol cars zoomed towards the Monroe house. All the while, Danny was so terrified. What if he lost his Montana forever?

Mac sensed Danny's tension and wanted to say something to comfort him, but found no words. In truth, Mac was just as worried as Danny.

((-))

Lindsay barely heard the sirens approaching her house. She didn't hear Danny call her name, but she knew it was him when he embraced her. The police were arresting Shaun and when Danny let go of her, she looked down at the gun and bucket in her hand. Danny chuckled. "So that's how a country girl defends herself!" Danny joked looking at the bucket.

Handing the gun and bucket to a police officer, Lindsay gave Danny a small smile. "What…what took you so long?" Lindsay joked back before holding him close again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Danny and Lindsay stood outside of the interrogation room where Shaun was being questioned by a Bozeman detective. "I…I trusted him, you know?" Lindsay said with a tear falling from her face. "My parents knew Shaun for the longest time and he would baby-sit me if my parents were out. Betrayal hurts so much…"

Stroking her hair, Danny nodded. "I know it does, but…what can you do? Some people are just…cruel." Danny said gently. "They don't think about how what they do will affect others."

Lindsay shrugged. "I can't believe Shaun and Ben were involved in this. I just want to know who hired Ben." Lindsay said.

Danny tipped her chin up so she could look into his deep blue eyes. "That's exactly what I'm gonna figure out." Danny said with a smile.

((-))

Listening to Mac on the other side of the cell phone, Stella felt her heart sinking. "Lindsay was attacked? The guy had a gun? Did he shoot at her? Wait, she hit him with a bucket? Hold on! Is she okay?" Stella fired off quickly as Mac began to tell Stella about Lindsay's encounter.

When Hawkes walked in, it was obvious he was so shocked. He had only heard a few words in that conversation and to him it sounded like Lindsay was shot and then hit with a bucket. Hanging up the phone, Stella looked up at the surprised Hawkes. "That was Mac." Stella said sighing.

Hawkes nodded. "I know. What happened? Was Lindsay shot?" Hawkes questioned.

Stella shook her head surprised. "No…Oh, you must have only heard a part of our conversation. Sit down Hawkes and I'll tell you the full story." Stella said.

((-))

Mac, Danny and Ethan were sitting in the lab. "Okay, let's go over what we know." Mac said.

Rubbing his head, Danny sighed. "Well, we know that Ben Wilcox was paid to dispose of evidence by an unknown person. He then got Shaun Cane to do the real dirty work. Ben was paid again to frame Lindsay this past week." Danny said shortly. "So, we gotta figure out who paid Ben and then we'll know who killed the three kids."

The door to the lab opened and Lindsay entered. Ethan jumped up. "Lindsay! You…" Ethan began.

Lindsay was already getting a lab coat and gloves. "Yes, Ethan, I know." Lindsay said shaking her head.

"Yes, you need to wear gloves and a coat, but are you sure you're supposed to be in here. I mean, with courts these days, they might throw away the case just because you were in the lab…" Ethan said quickly.

Putting her hand on Ethan's shoulder, Lindsay smiled. "What's the first thing you taught me?" Lindsay questioned.

Ethan thought for a minute. "You can learn more from observing than from doing." Ethan replied with a smile. "As long as you don't touch anything…"

Lindsay nodded. "Five feet back," Lindsay confirmed.

((-))

"Shaun talked." The woman stated in a panicky voice. "He told the cops that Ben asked him to destroy the evidence. He also told them Ben was hired by someone."

"Shut up you old bag! Shaun doesn't know who hired Ben. Even if the cops figure out it was you, they won't ever figure out I kill those jerks." The male voice said coldly.

The woman shook her head. "I don't want to do this anymore. I should turn myself in…" The woman began.

"Mom, you are not turning yourself in! Frankly, I don't give a damn what happens to you, but if you turn yourself in, it's my butt on the line!" The voice shouted.

The woman sighed. "Alright. I'm only doing this for you sweetie." The woman said before the line went dead.

((-))

Danny flipped the bank records over. "Hmm…who has enough money in Bozeman to pay a total of fourteen thousand dollars?" Danny questioned to himself.

Ethan smacked his head. "Of course! It is any more obvious?" Ethan muttered.

There was a look in Lindsay's eyes that Danny and Mac would never forget. It was a look of horror and anger. She made her way over to the charred clothes. "Five feet Lindsay! Five feet!" Ethan squeaked. "You're not five feet away! You're touching my evidence!"

Looking at the charred clothes, Lindsay knew what happened. "Ethan, do you remember Clayton Sanford?" Lindsay asked quietly.

As Ethan and Lindsay locked eyes, Ethan nodded. "Lindsay…it's so obvious now…I should have seen it before…" Ethan said softly. "I'm sorry."

Before anyone could say anything else, Lindsay quickly left the room. "What's the second thing you taught me Ethan?" Lindsay asked before the door shut.

Confused, Mac and Danny looked at Ethan for help. "The second thing I taught her was to never say sorry for something you had no control over." Ethan muttered.

((-))

Sitting in her car, Lindsay knew she was going to kill Clayton Sanford. She had the key in the ignition and was going to drive over to his place. In all ways, Lindsay had lost any self-control she might have possessed. She just wanted to make Clayton pay for what he had done.

However, there was a rational part of Lindsay that was always there…even when Lindsay had lost grip with reality. The rational part of her was telling her to let the police deal with it.

Taking the key out of ignition, Lindsay walked out of the car knowing that Clayton would be very lucky today as she decided not to kill him.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Mac was losing his patience in all the drama around him. "Who's Clayton Sanford?" Mac demanded.

Ethan sighed. "The mayor of our town is Elizabeth Sanford. She's the only one rich enough to pay such hefty lump of cash to keep someone silent. She's married to Ronald Sanford and they have one son, Clayton who is Lindsay's age. Everyone knows that Elizabeth doesn't like Bozeman, but she's on a career path. She wants to be a senator, so this is her first step. Anyway, it's my guess that Elizabeth paid Ben to hide Clayton's murders. We all know how Elizabeth would do anything to become senator." Ethan explained quickly.

"And so the plot thickens…" Danny mumbled to himself.

((-))

Danny walked into the interrogation room with Mac by his side. "You know Mac, money leaves such a trail. No matter how careful people are, there's always a paper trail." Danny commented looking at Ben and his union rep.

Slapping down a bank statement, Mac smiled at Ben. "Did you know that Elizabeth withdrew five thousand dollars and then Ben here deposited five thousand dollars? Hmm…what do we call that in New York?" Mac asked talking to Danny yet looking at Ben.

"We call that a pay off." Danny said looking Ben firmly in the eyes. "We know everything."

Ben closed his eyes. "This is the largest small town scandal in history." Ben said quietly before opening his eyes. "It's terrible."

Danny put down a pen and paper in front of Ben. "Really? Write it down." Danny ordered.

((-))

Elizabeth sat in her large house alone. Her husband had to fly to Tokyo for a business meeting. He was always gone these days. When the doorbell rang, she jumped up to get it. She was so hoping for some company.

There were two police officers standing in the doorway. "May we come in?" Mac questioned.

Surprised, Elizabeth nodded. "What can I do for you?" Elizabeth asked stepping aside.

Danny shrugged. "We're just here to talk about your bank records." Danny said looking around.

Something caught Mac's eye. He moved towards the couch where a quilt lay on the arm rest. "Is this your quilt?" Mac asked not taking his eyes off of the quilt.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, my son Clayton got it for me. He's such a dear. He lives in New York City you know." Elizabeth said proudly.

Mac held it up. "Really? Is that why it has 'Monroe' stitched into the back of it?" Mac asked raising his eyebrows.

_Now the cards begin to fall. _Danny thought happily. Mac pulled out his cell phone. "Flack, it's me Mac. I've got someone I need you to pick up. Name's Clayton Sanford. He's wanted for a triple homicide in Bozeman." Mac said calmly.

((-))

Ethan, James and Lindsay watched as Ben Wilcox, Shaun Cane and Elizabeth Sanford were led past them into the local holding cell awaiting their trial date. Mac and Danny didn't stand close to the others for they felt as if it was a personal moment for the three. "Are we the only ones in Bozeman that aren't corrupt?" James questioned.

Shrugging, Ethan sighed. "Hey, I'm here to do a job. That's all." Ethan said.

Lindsay looked over at Ethan. "The third thing and final thing you taught me…I think it's the most important." Lindsay admitted. "You told me 'Lindsay, there are a lot of bad people out there, but the people we have to watch out for are the people we already know. Human behavior is complex and at the end of the day, we don't really know anyone at all.'."

Ethan nodded. "My dear Lindsay, perhaps there is a fourth thing you have yet to learn." Ethan said calmly.

Surprised, Lindsay looked at him. "What?" Lindsay asked.

"You need to learn that I'm not always right." Ethan said with a smile. "You can still trust people. I know those men you work with are amazing. They stopped at nothing to prove your innocence."

James nodded. "Are you staying in Bozeman for a little longer?" James questioned.

Shaking her head, Lindsay smiled. "Nah partner! I gotta go back to the big bad city!" Lindsay said jokingly in an accent that sounded half southern and half New York.

"You know, your accents aren't very good." James told her bluntly.

"I suppose this is goodbye again." Ethan said with a sigh. "Don't do what you did before Lindsay. You can always call us. You don't need to cut us off."

Lindsay nodded. "I won't." Lindsay promised as she hugged them. "'Bye!"

With that, Lindsay disappeared from the lab.

((-))

Danny and Lindsay watched as the sunset from outside the police station. Mac was finishing up his paperwork before they all left for New York City. "Flack is interrogating Clayton." Danny stated.

"You know, when I left Bozeman before, it was so easy. I just wanted to get away from all the secrets and lies of the small town. Now…it's hard because…there's always a part of me that's in Bozeman." Lindsay said looking at the different array of colors.

"Well, you can always come back." Danny said. "I mean, it's not like Bozeman's gone forever."

Lindsay let out a small laugh. "No…it's not." Lindsay muttered.

At that time, Mac walked out with the keys to the rental car. "Ready?" Mac asked gently.

Nodding, Lindsay understood what he meant. She was ready to let go.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Back in New York City, Lindsay was welcomed with hugs from Stella, Hawkes and Flack. "Welcome back kiddo!" Stella said happily.

Danny moaned. "Oh Stella, it was so horrible! There were cows everywhere!" Danny complained jokingly.

Hawkes shrugged. "I thought you liked cows Danny. You eat a lot of hamburger." Hawkes said with a smile.

Nodding, Danny smiled. "Yeah, that's 'cause those cows are dead!" Danny said. "I like my cows dead."

Mac smiled as well. "Bozeman wasn't too bad." Mac said. "It was very pretty actually."

Flack shook his head. "Pretty. That's my word of the day." Flack joked.

As much as Lindsay was happy to be back, there was a more powerful urge to come back to New York City. Clayton Sanford. "What happened to Clayton?" Lindsay asked quietly.

Everyone's smiles faded. "He's in an interrogation room, but he won't talk. He'll be sent to Bozeman for his trial in a few days." Stella told Lindsay.

"Did…did he ever say why?" Lindsay questioned.

Shaking his head, Flack felt horrible for Lindsay. "No," Flack said.

Looking up at her co-workers, Lindsay felt she had to try something. "Can I talk to him?" Lindsay asked innocently.

Mac shook his head. He was firm about these things. "Absolutely not." Mac said firmly.

Stella looked at Lindsay before pulling out a file. "Lindsay, there's something you need to see." Stella said handing her the file. "When we went over to his apartment to arrest him, we found these."

As Lindsay looked through the photos, she realized they were of her. They were taken candidly. Some were taken in New York and others were taken in Montana. "He's been stalking me." Lindsay said dryly.

Hawkes nodded. "From those photos, it looks like it started when you were ten." Hawkes said shortly.

There was no stopping Lindsay now. She shut the file and began to walk quickly towards the interrogation rooms.

((-))

Clayton Sanford looked surprised when Lindsay entered the room. "Lindsay!" Clayton exclaimed. "What a wonderful surprise!"

Lindsay looked at him coldly. "Just tell me why." Lindsay said hardly.

There was a look of confusion on Clayton's face. "What are you talking about?" Clayton asked.

Slamming down the file, Lindsay looked at him wildly. "I'm talking about this Clayton! You've been stalking me!" Lindsay shouted.

Clayton still looked confused. "Honey, we're in love, remember? I never stalked you. You always wanted me watching." Clayton said in an odd tone.

His words made Lindsay feel sick. "Why did you kill my friends?" Lindsay asked taking a deep breath.

"Everything I did was for you baby! I hated seeing how Andy was all over you. I had to kill him so we could be together. Nikita and Samantha weren't supposed to be there. I had to kill them too." Clayton explained in his twisted way. "I wanted to kill you too for cheating on me, but I just couldn't. I love you too much."

Lindsay found her breakfast rising up. "Why…why didn't you turn yourself in?" Lindsay asked.

Clayton laughed. "Baby, I love you, but I'm not an idiot. I wasn't going to jail because if I did, I wouldn't see you again." Clayton said.

"So you framed me?" Lindsay asked her voice rising.

There was a look of hate on Clayton's face. "That was my mother. I hated her for doing it." Clayton said. "We've always been together. Remember that time when we were on the school field trip? I fell into the creek and you were the one who came in to save me. That's when it all started for us."

It took Lindsay to remember the incident, but when she did, she looked upset. "I was nine years old. You fell into a stream where the water was only a few inches deep and thought you were downing. I had to drag you out so I could laugh at what an idiot you were." Lindsay said with fire in her eyes.

"No you loved me!" Clayton insisted. "You love me!"

Shaking her head, Lindsay had anger in her movements. "No! I never loved you nor will I ever! Did you follow me to New York City under the illusion that I would marry you?" Lindsay asked bitterly. "If you did, you were sadly mistaken."

Clayton lunged at her, but two police officers rushed in and restrained him. "I'm going to kill you! I hate you! All I ever did was love you and this is how you repay me! I killed for you!" Clayton shouted angrily.

As Clayton was dragged out, Lindsay walked out the door with tears falling from her face. Mac, Flack, Hawkes, Danny and Stella stood beside her. "I read about this before. Some people believe that they're in illicit love affairs with others and then kill to keep their fantasy going." Hawkes said quietly.

Lindsay shook her head. "It's the sickest thing…" Lindsay said. "I was the only one to survive because the murderer loved me. I was the only one…"

There was silence before Lindsay walked away quickly leaving the team to ponder in their own thoughts.

**The End**

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY.

A/N- I've written a lot of fanfiction, but this is my first CSI: NY. I must say, I enjoyed it a lot because the writers of the show gave away all these hints and I had a chance to form a story from them. If you liked this story, check out my others stories!

Kylie Anderson


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